I will be fitted for my first HA on Monday. I have been reading that moisture is the enemy of HA. When I take a shower should I wait awhile before inserting them to allow for drying of my ear canals on the premise that by doing so it will prevent deterioration?
I wait until my after shower chores are done… brush teeth, shave, etc… then run a q-tip around the entrance (not down inside) my ears and insert them.
I go outdoors for 30 minutes or stay in a climate-contolled room after I take my shower. I use my fingers to check to see that the ear is not moist prior to inserting hearing aids.
i just dry my ears out really well with a t-shirt or blow the hair-dryer on them for a bit. you definitely want them to be dry, but don’t stress out about it. also, get a good dehumidifier (i like the zephyr), which helps.
What about wet hair after shower with BTE aids? I have ordered my first set and will be getting them next week. I definitely want to care for them in the right manner.
Had hoped you would see a reply on here.
Me, too…no worries though, I have short hair that dries quickly. My HA will be delivered today and I just plan to enjoy my morning coffee (after shower) before putting them in.
Hi, I have a question why HA’s are so susceptible to moisture . Are the electronics much different than let’s say in my cell phone. My cell phone is exposed to rain, wind ,drastic temp changes ,dirt of all types. And it’s doesn’t get put in an environmental box every night.
Is there any actual studies confirming early failure of HA’s that were not put in driers nightly v/s those that haven’t.
I freek out when I get caught in a rain storm but so far I’m not in trouble. BTW I’m a BTE user.
CLIFFORD
Hearing aids aren’t necessarily a lot more susceptible to moisture than say an iPhone, but the bigger phone has bigger, more robust seals.
On both devices the circuit boards are coated with a “conformal coating” that seals them against water – and most people don’t realize that all circuit boards are washed during manufacturing, usually with water.
The problem (on both) is the connectors – for example where the wire connects to the aid body on a RITE, or the battery compartment.
The reason we’re not that careful about an iPhone but we’re paranoid about our hearing aids? The aids are wicked-expensive compared to a phone.
… and because of the expense, we aren’t going to drop a pair of Alta Pros in the toilet to see if they will survive. We’re much more protective.
I realize this is an old thread but thought I’d ad my opinion. I dry out my ear with a cleanex to get as much moisture out as possible. Then wait at least 30 minutes. If I don’t need the hearing aid for an hour, then I wait an hour, the drier the better. I don’t know it it shortens the life of the aid, but wet ear wax is super soft and can clog your receiver compared with dry ear wax. Also, dry ear wax is easier to clean than moist ear wax. I always clean my aids in the morning rather than when you take them out. It the morning, if there is any wax, it is dry and will flake off in one easy piece compared with moist wax which won’t.
My two day old Quintra state in the owner’s manual to clean them in the AM, after wax has dried. good point.
I try to get my ear’s dry before I insert my HA’s in them.
I don’t recommend this but… I have had my Bernafon Verite for just less than 4-1/2 years. I have treated them horribly compared to how they should be treated - I accidentally dove in a pool with them, sweated on them quite often, wore them in the rain, and I never used the drier that I had from a previous set. Somehow they just keep on going despite me!
I just bought a new pair of Costco KS5’s, and will try to take better care of them. The KS5’s have a waterproof coating that should make them even more impervious to water although I really don’t want to push my luck and test that coating… I have read lots of good about the KS5’s and I have to say that I’m pretty impressed so far - even though it’s only been 4 days.
Gosh. I’ve been wearing aids for over 40 years, and a shower has never been one of my worries. Dry the outer parts with a towel, dry the canal with a qtip, and put 'er in. I don’t get people’s fear of using qtips… after all, we’re shoving a plastic instrument into our ears on a daily basis… I’ve been pushed into pools a number of times with various kinds of aids on. Each and every time I got a real sinking feeling (no pun intended), but none of the times did it ever cause a failure. Take care of them, but they aren’t fine china wrapped in Oriental silk…
You will defiantly want to dry out your ears before purring in your hearing aids. I doesn’t matter what style you are wearing, any of them can run into issues if you put them in a wet ear. Even a BTE with an earmold can get moisture caught in the tubing.
Oh that’s a good question I never even thought of that. I let my hair air dry so it take time for it to dry fully and I’m getting BTE with in the next 2 weeks so it would be good to know before hand.
Is it OK to put a little baby oil on my little finger and stick it in my ear before putting in the receiver or to put a little baby oil on the tip of a cotton swab then use that swab to clean off the dried earwax?
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Is it OK to put a little baby oil on my little finger and stick it in my ear before putting in the receiver or to put a little baby oil on the tip of a cotton swab then use that swab to clean off the dried earwax?
Is it OK to put a little baby oil on my little finger and stick it in my ear before putting in the receiver or to put a little baby oil on the tip of a cotton swab then use that swab to clean off the dried earwax?
I just just towel off, stick my finger in my ear to get out any excess water and put in my IIC’s.
After taking a shower, l always wait 30 minutes while outdoors except when its raining. I never use a hair dryer.